How the Medici Shaped the Renaissance | Florence at the Dawn of the Renaissance (Lecture 1)

12 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture
Taught by William Landon, Ph.D. Professor
Northern Kentucky University
English subtitles (Click on CC)
Lecture 2: https://rumble.com/v5y6man-how-the-medici-shaped-the-renaissance-the-foundations-of-medici-greatness-l.html

The extraordinary Medici family, through a singular exercise of wealth, political ingenuity, and dynastic power, ruled the city-state of Florence for 300 years. Hugely controversial, both in their own time and among later historians and commentators, the list of what they accomplished is nothing short of astonishing:

- The Medici were entrepreneurs who reached epic success in commerce, and essentially invented the modern banking system, founding an incredibly powerful family bank with branches across the Italian peninsula.
- Over the centuries, they amassed a staggering treasure trove of paintings, Egyptian and Etruscan statuary, Renaissance sculptures, furniture, tapestries, books and manuscripts, jewels, and luxury objects of every kind, housed within imposing palaces, villas, country estates, and libraries.
- They built political alliances, patronage networks, and structures of family power that allowed them to dominate Florentine politics, civics, and cultural life, earning Florence international influence and a status as the cultural capital of Europe.
- They occupied and dominated offices of power, both political and religious, including producing a succession of grand dukes of Tuscany, two queens of France, and the elevation of four members of the Medici family to the papacy.

But even beyond their familial prowess and power, their positioning within Florentine society and politics led them to play a key role in the world-changing phenomenon of the Renaissance. This movement in scholarship, art, architecture, politics, and philosophy was rooted in the rediscovery of classical texts and culture, which famously began in Florence. Through their wealth, influence, and patronage, the Medici were instrumental in encouraging humanistic scholarship, along with commissioning iconic works of architecture and countless artistic masterpieces that emblemize the Italian Renaissance.

How a single family could have achieved such remarkable and enduring feats and influence is one of the fascinating stories of European civilization. It’s a story that resonates far beyond their own time, as the Renaissance, in many ways, laid the groundwork for the later scientific and philosophical revolutions of the Enlightenment.

How the Medici Shaped the Renaissance offers you a panoramic look at the colossal achievements, colorful and dramatic history, and significant legacy of the Medici family, set within the context of the groundbreaking political and cultural currents of the Florentine Renaissance.

Lecture 1: The Medici have been the subject of hundreds of scholarly monographs, thousands of journal articles, and historical novels. Recently, films, theatrical productions, and television programs have added to their coverage. Nearly all these works, in some fashion, fit into what one excellent historian, John Rigby Hale, called the Medici myth. This myth takes two forms: the “White” myth, which extols their achievements, and the “Black” myth, which harshly criticizes their influence. Take into account the historical methods that will be used throughout this course. Also explore the social and political conditions within 14th-century Florence that gave rise to the Renaissance.